Key Takeaways
- The Apple Watch Series 9 is expected to be released on September 12 2023, following the pattern of previous annual releases by Apple.
- The design of the Series 9 is likely to remain the same as the Series 8, with the addition of a new pink colour option. Major design changes may occur on the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch in 2024.
- The Series 9 is rumoured to feature an upgraded S9 processor, providing significant speed improvements. Other expected features include improved battery life and the new features that come with watchOS 10.
Apple has several Watch models in its smartwatch portfolio, from the top-of-the-range Apple Watch Ultra, to the entry-level Apple Watch SE. Nestled in the middle of the two, you’ll find the Apple Watch Series 8, which is the 9th generation of the original model that arrived way back in 2015.
It’s moved on a little in that time, though it still features the same form factor. The question is, will it continue with that form factor for 2023, or will we see more of a shift to the Apple Watch Ultra design for the next Apple Watch Series model?
Here’s everything we have heard so far about the Apple Watch Series 9.
Apple Watch Series 9 release date
Since the original Apple Watch, we’ve seen a new model launch every year so it would be unusual if the company didn’t launch one this year too. Apple’s Wonderlust event is now confirmed for 12 September 2023, and in all likelihood, we expect the Watch Series 9 to be unveiled at the event, alongside the Apple iPhone 15 series.
The Apple Watch Series 8 was announced on 7 September 2022, before being available to pre-order on 9 September. It went on sale the following week on 14 September, We’d expect a similar timeline for the Series 9 so if it is announced on 12 September, it is likely to be available to order from 15 September and available to buy from 22 September.
Apple / Pocket-lint
Apple Watch Series 8
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If you don’t want to wait for the launch of the Apple Watch Series 9, the Series 8 is an excellent smartwatch with plenty to love.
Apple Watch Series 9 design and display
- Same design as Series 8
- Same display offering
- 41mm and 45mm options expected
There haven’t been a huge amount of leaks surrounding the next-generation Apple Watch. A couple of years ago, there were reports suggesting we would see flat edges introduced to the Apple Watch, like we’ve seen on the iPhone since the iPhone 12 series and like the company’s iPads and iMac offer. That hasn’t happened for the Apple Watch yet though, and while the Apple Watch Ultra has flatter edges than the Apple Watch Series 8, they are still rounded. It’s of course possible Apple could change up the design of the Apple Watch for the Series 9 model, perhaps taking some cues from the Watch Ultra, but for now, rumours are suggesting there won’t be a design change this time around, except for the addition of a new pink colour. This makes sense as it’s probably more likely any major design changes would happen on the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch – as it did for the iPhone in the iPhone X. With the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch announcement being next year, we’d expect any major changes to appear then too rather than this year.
The Watch Series 8 comes in 41mm and 45mm size options – with the Watch Ultra offered in a 49mm casing – so we are expecting the 41mm and 45mm options for the Series 9 too. The Watch Ultra has a programmable action button on the left edge though, which we would love to see come to the standard model too.
Some rumours have suggested Apple will eventually switch to a Micro-LED display, which it will develop in-house, though this is tipped for 2024 or 2025 rather than this year’s model. In terms of display, it’s been suggested the Series 9 will offer the same size as its predecessor.
Apple Watch Series 9 hardware and specs
- S9 SiP processor expected
- Better battery life?
- 50-metre water resistance, compass, High-g accelerometer
- Blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart rate sensor
The Apple Watch Series 9 will no doubt see a chip upgrade compared to the Series 8. The Series 8 runs on the S8 SiP with a 64-bit dual-core processor. This hasn’t changed all that much since the Apple Watch Series 6, so it’s very possible there will be a bigger upgrade for the Series 9. It’s been reported the Series 9 will run on the S9 processor and it’s claimed this chip will offer a “fairly sizable performance bump” and “significant speed improvements”.
The Series 8 battery life is claimed to be 18 hours, which is about right for the 45mm model, though we would like to see some improvement here. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offers a few days of battery life before it needs charging, and the Apple Watch Ultra offers longer than the Series 8, so surely it’s only fair the Series 9 gets a little boost too?
Elsewhere on the hardware front, the Series 8 is water resistant up to 50 metres, has a Compass, Always-on altimeter and a high-g accelerometer with the ability to detect up to 256 g-forces. We’d expect all those on the Series 9, along with a blood oxygen sensor and electrical heart rate sensor. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a couple of extra sensors though.
Apple Watch Series 9 features
The Apple Watch Series 9 will launch running watchOS 10. We learned more about watchOS 10 and the improvements it brings to the next Apple Watch, as well as compatible older models, during WWDC. We have a watchOS 10 preview that you can read for our first impressions of what the software is like in use. The watchOS 10 public beta is also available already so you can download it and install it if you have a compatible Apple Watch.
For now, there haven’t been any rumours suggesting what features the Apple Watch Series 9 might offer, though blood pressure monitoring was previously predicated for the Series 8. It’s therefore possible we might see it arrive with the Series 9 given competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Watch models offer this as a function and the Apple Watch is keen on delivering health features.
We’d like to see further expansion on sleep tracking for watchOS 10, though that’s not been mentioned yet. At the moment, you get a breakdown of sleep stages, though you have to physically put the Apple Watch into Sleep mode and you don’t get any more information telling you what the time in those sleep stages actually means for you – i.e. whether you got enough or were within a normal range.
Garmin offers a feature called Body Battery for example, which takes into account your activity and sleep to determine whether you should rest or go for it on any particular day. There’s no reason Apple Watch couldn’t also offer something like this.
Apple Watch Series 9 rumours: What’s the story so far?
Here are all the rumours we have heard so far about the Apple Watch Series 9 so far.
29 August 2023: Apple launch event confirmed for 12 September 2023
Apple has announced the date for its next special event, where the iPhone 15 is expected to be announced, alongside a number of other devices.
1 August 2023: Watch Series 9 could come in pink
ShrimpApplePro tweeted that while the design of the Apple Watch is expected to remain the same, there will be a new box and a new pink colour.
30 July 2023: Apple Watch Series 9 could get a great upgrade
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that the Apple Watch Series 9 is expected to come with an S9 processor that will be “fairly sizable performance bump” and will offer “significant speed improvements”.
12 July 2023: Apple releases watchOS 10 beta
Apple announced the availability of the watchOS 10 beta on 12 July, allowing those who have a compatible Apple Watch model to download it and run the software ahead of the release of the final build.
7 June 2023: Apple announced watchOS 10 software features at WWDC
Apple announced watchOS 10 during its Worldwide Developer Conference, revealing some of the key features that will launch in September for all compatible Apple Watch models, including the Watch Series 9.
8 February 2023: Apple Watch ‘Series X’ and Apple Watch SE 3 touted for even bigger displays in 2024
A report discovered by MacRumours claimed that a so-called Apple Watch Series X with a larger display will launch in 2024. The same report also has Apple increasing the size of the display on the 2024 Apple Watch SE as well. The report also said the Apple Watch Series 9 would offer the same size displays as the Watch Series 8.
14 January 2023: Apple Watch’s switch to a Micro-LED display might still need LG’s help
Display analyst Ross Young tweeted that LG Display would begin production of Micro-LED parts starting in the second half of 2024, giving it enough time to produce panels for Apple. To that end, Young points to a Micro-LED Apple Watch taking place in 2025, not the 2024 window previously thought.
11 January 2023: The 2024 Apple Watch could ditch Samsung for an in-house display
Bloomberg reported the Apple Watch 2024 could be the first to use an in-house display.
9 January 2023: Lacklustre Apple Watch, iPad, and AirPods updates expected this year
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said the Apple Watch will only receive minor performance boosts with no new design in sight.
3 January 2023: Next year’s Apple Watch Ultra could switch to a Micro-LED display
Analyst Jeff Pu claimed the 2024 Apple Watch Ultra will not only get a new type of display technology – micro-LED – but will also sport a larger display than the current Apple Watch Ultra.
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